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Why we need to improve the mental health care of cancer patients

In the lead up to the election on March 11 we’re calling on the next state government to commit $350k per annum of dedicated funding for 4 years to enable improved psychological care and support to reach more West Australians.

How will investment from the next state government help?

Up to 40 per cent of cancer patients experience clinically-significant mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. This is why improving the management of the mental health of cancer patients is vital.

Funding from the next state government for specialist health care professionals to help meet the incredibly complex needs of cancer patients and ongoing education for cancer health professionals will help to significantly improve the overall mental health of West Australians affected by cancer.

To support a system-wide improvement, we propose the following strategies;